Stepping into the Real
by LCFC
Summary: Can what you see on televison possibly be real? Jared Padalecki and Sam Winchester are about to find out the answer
1. Chapter 1

**Stepping into the Real**

_This story is inspired by a wonderful live journal entry by Cherry Scott that opened my eyes to the interesting concept of TV crossing over into the real world. This is not, by any means, an original concept but just my take on it. Enjoy!_

_I don't own Supernatural or its characters and I don't own Jared or Jensen either – damn!!_

Sam Winchester felt the hands around his throat tighten and he struggled for breath, his hands scrabbling at the long nails, his head turning away from the foul breath, across the warehouse he could hear his brother calling his name frantically and he barked out Dean's name hoarsely, his voice harsh and choked, he felt the world go black for a moment and he fought against it, forcing his eyes open, tears stinging as he tried to focus "Sam?" he felt Dean's hands on his face and heard, rather than saw the concern in his voice "Sam it's ok Dude, it's dead – Sam stay with me bro – open your eyes" Dean's face wavered into view and Sam forced himself to breath more evenly, his heart pounding in his chest, he watched his brother, watched the emotions that played across his face and, suddenly, he began to feel that something was wrong, something strange was happening, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it, he reached up and gripped Dean's shirt, his long fingers curling around the material, his throat working frantically. Dean seemed to be looking at him expectantly, his eyes willing him to say something, do something and Sam couldn't think straight, he looked up into his brother's eyes, gasping for breath again, his chest tight, Dean was beginning to look angry, impatient, then, strangely, a little amused "Christ Jared" he hissed suddenly "Say the fucking line" Sam's vision blurred again and, as he blacked out, he heard a loud voice shout "Cut"

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Jared Padalecki opened his eyes and squinted, it seemed unnaturally dark on set and eerily quiet, no shouting, no camera noise, nothing; it smelt funny too, sort of dank and dirty, not the normal 'set' smell. Beside him, Jensen was on his knees, his hands working franticly on Jared's chest, pulling at his shirt

"Sammy – don't do this bro – stay with me" Jared winced, that wasn't the line, he opened his eyes wider and, for the first time in his life, felt real, tangible fear.

The warehouse was huge, dark and oppressive. He was lying in a cold puddle of water, his throat felt hoarse, his chest tight; he gulped and tried to sit up, feeling his head spin and his vision blur.

"Sam – are you ok?" Jensen still seemed to be in character, oblivious to the change in their surroundings "Can you walk?"

"I think so" his voice sounded thin, harsh "Give me a minute" he pushed himself up, leaning against Jensen for support "What's happening?" he gripped the older man's leather jacket for a moment "Jen, what's happening?"

"You alright there Sammy?" Jensen was frowning "Did you bang your head?" concerned hands ran through Jared's hair "Do you wanna hurl – because once we get in the car dude, the upholstery"

Jared stared hard at his screen brother, his mind working furiously, this was no set, this was no fucking wind-up or some sick joke, so what was it? He looked at the man who was helping him to his feet really looked and, in a moment, he realised that this wasn't Jensen Ackles, his best friend and acting buddy. This man looked like Jensen, sure, but this man had a harder, somehow colder exterior, his fine-boned face was covered in light stubble, his hair was slightly darker, his lips tighter. Jared swallowed, convulsively, unable to comprehend what his eyes and mind were telling him; this wasn't Jensen Ackles, this was Dean Winchester and Jared was in deep, deep shit.

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Sam awoke lying on a large, incredibly, soft bed in a room that could only be described as pure luxury it was large and warm with a small kitchenette, a huge, comfy looking sofa and enough technology to make even the biggest tech head happy. There was a wide screen TV, a play station, a DVD player and a stereo with the largest speakers Sam had ever seen. He frowned, shaking his head as if to clear it, Dean was certainly hitting the credit cards this time. He sat up and swung his legs round, taking in his surroundings. It was meant to be a simple hunt, to tide them over till something else came along, in and out, but the creature was simply stronger and Sam had ended up at the wrong end of its anger. A sudden knocking interrupted his musings and he heard his brother's voice on the other side of the door

"Jare – are you alright dude? Hey let me in – we need to talk"

"Dean?" Sam almost whispered, his head whirling in confusion, who was this Jare? This Jared? Twice Dean had called him that and, if it were a joke, he didn't think it was particularly funny "Dean – what's going on?"

"Shit Jared – not funny" the door rattled "Now let me in you fucker – the jokes over – you only escaped a fucking stripping down because you collapsed – how could you have missed your cue like that and at such an important part of the episode..Shit Jared – you are so dead"

Sam moved slowly over to the door and opened it, carefully, peering out at the man who stood there, he sounded like Dean, hell he looked like Dean, but Sam was pretty sure that this wasn't his brother, but whether he was a shape shifter or some sort of fevered illusion Sam wasn't sure. This version of Dean no longer wore the familiar leather jacket or ripped denim, this version of Dean was dressed in expensive Gucci jeans and a silk shirt, this version of Dean wore a pair of prada shoes, this version of Dean wore thin wire glasses and had brushed and carefully spiked his fair hair. Sam swallowed hard again and opened the door, letting the older man inside, whoever or whatever this was, it had the answers that Sam might want and Sam decided it was best to be friendly, after all it might be his only chance of getting his brother, his Dean returned to him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Stepping into the Real **

**Chapter 2**

Jared was sitting in the Impala – he was sitting – in the Impala and they were driving, he was in the actual passenger seat of the Impala and Dean Winchester was driving, Jared swallowed hard and stared out of the window, considering, carefully, his next move. Hell, it was going to be fucking hard to stay in character for a start, in fact he didn't have a clue if 'his' character was right anyhow, he was an actor not some college geek boy, he didn't know shit about alternative universes or being sucked into another direction, all he could ascertain is that he was no longer in Vancouver and the character he had been playing for the past year and a bit seemed to actually exist. He shot a look at his 'brother', Dean seemed to accept his/Sam's silence and wasn't pressing for any conversation at the moment which was fine as Jared couldn't think of a damn thing to say, he guessed that any conversation that started with 'Hey I'm not actually Sam – just some actor who actually plays him – in a fictional series – called Supernatural' just wasn't going to go down too well. He gazed out at the dark streets, trying to work out in his mind what might be going on – all he did know is that he was Sam and he was going to have to be Sam for a while longer, while he tried to work out exactly what to do. He wished Jenson was with him, he was sure the older man would know what to do in a situation like this; a slightly hysterical laugh escaped his lips as a thought hit him – when had they ever been in a situation like this?

"Something funny?" Dean turned his head slightly, his green eyes sharp "Are you sure you didn't hit your head there bro?"

"No – I'm good" Jared kept his voice soft "Where are we going?"

"Back to the motel" Dean was still watching him "You need fixing up, a good shower, some food and some sleep" he frowned "Are you sure you are ok? No headaches – no visions?"

"No – Dean – I'm fine – you're right – I just need a good night's sleep" Jared forced a smile "Guess the hunt didn't turn out the way I thought it would"

"Ok – let me know if you need anything ok?"

"Sure Dean" Jared's head was beginning to hurt – but it was more with the strain of constantly being Sam than any other reason. He wondered, randomly, what timeline they were in, was his 'dad' dead? How long since Dean had picked 'him' up from Stanford? Fuck, he could hardly ask anything like that without Dean becoming instantly suspicious and Jared didn't want anything to piss off Dean – because he had enough knowledge of the character – to know that a pissed off Dean was not a good Dean and Jared needed to keep him as sweet as possible and for as long as possible because Dean might be his only way of getting back home and at the moment he felt a lot like Dorothy lost in the land of Oz.

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Sam lay back in the large bathtub and sighed, whoever this Jared character was, he certainly knew how to live; everything in this trailer was designed to fit someone who was taller than average and Sam couldn't help but enjoy the luxury of actually fitting in everything from the bed to the bath. He lay for a while longer and finally got out of the tub, wrapping himself in a large towel whilst he looked for something clean to wear. This Jared's wardrobe was huge, full of loud shirts – some in pink – cowboy boots and a huge array of unsuitable jackets and hats. Sam picked out the least garish of the shirts and a plain pair of jeans, shaking his head, shit he'd give his right arm for a decent tee shirt and a warm hoodie.

The man who looked like his brother was lying on the couch when Sam entered the lounge, he looked relaxed and at home and he grinned at Sam, gesturing that he should sit "You ok Jare?" his voice was concerned "You still look a little shaky – you were lucky dude – Eric felt enough sympathy for you to let you off the hook tonight – so we've a free evening – what do ya wanna do?" Sam frowned, he had no idea what this guy was talking about, and he was feeling too tired and too fraught to even try and guess. He had no idea what had happened to him, only a few vague theories and none of them seemed feasible. Was it possible that he had slipped into another dimension where another version of him and Dean existed? Or was he in a coma and imagining all this? He put his hand to his head, it hurt and he wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep, waking up, he hoped next to his brother in their cramped motel room.

"Jared?" the man's voice held some concern "Are you ok?"

"Yeah" Sam's voice sounded harsh to his own ears and he chose his words carefully "Yeah"

"Look man – don't sweat – we all mess up at times – it'll be alright tomorrow – lets go and grab a few beers, play a little pool, you know – take a little R & R"

"Ok" it seemed the right thing to say because the guy who looked like his brother grinned and leapt up from the sofa, a mischievous gleam in his eyes "Hold that thought – I'll go and bring the car round"

Sam continued to sit, biting his thumbnail, his head buzzing. He leant over and picked up a magazine which was flung casually on the coffee table in front of him and he felt his heart leap into his mouth as he looked at the front cover, unable to believe his eyes. The picture was clear and colourful, him and Dean standing, looking all mean and very moody, in front of the Impala. The headline read _'Supernatural Studs' _and as Sam read on, his predicament became all too clear _'Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles star in the second series of the successful CW series Supernatural – catch it every Thursday at 9pm on the CW' _Sam brushed a long finger over the picture in front of him and swallowed hard – fuck – they had turned his fucking life into a television show! How the fuck had that happened? He stared at the face of the actor who 'played' Sam Winchester and shook his head – fuck – if he were here – then this Jared character must be in his place – with Dean – Sam felt hysterical laughter bubble and he thought he had problems……


	3. Chapter 3

**Stepping into the Real **

**Chapter 3**

Jared squatted down in the cheap hotel shower and groaned as the tepid water spat over him, tiny dribbles barely covering his hot and tired body, when he felt he was, finally, clean he wrapped a large, but rather scratchy towel around his waist and perched on the end of the very small and extremely uncomfortable bed. God, even the sets they worked on weren't as horrible and as seedy as this real hotel, Jared sighed, his hands brushing against something greasy and indescribable on the sheets, fuck he felt a lot of sympathy for his alto ego, for Sam, having to live like this 24/7, what a miserable life the guy must lead, not only having to deal with demons, ghosts and his painful visions, but things like greasy food, too small beds and a watchful older brother, Jared sighed again, god he missed his trailer and his apartment and his dogs and he wondered if he would ever see them again or if he would be trapped in – well wherever he was – forever.

"Got you some chow dude" Dean entered the room with something balanced on a tray and Jared got the scent of burger and what might have been fries. His stomach growled a little and he forced a smile as Dean pressed the cardboard packet into his outstretched hand "Glad to see a bit more colour in your cheeks Sammy"

"It's Sam" the response rolled off Jared's tongue like clockwork and he found himself internally wincing as Dean quirked an eyelid and stared down at him

"Whatever" Dean sat down on the opposite bed and began to chow down on his food, Jared, driven by hunger rather than desire, began to do the same, they ate in companionable silence for a while and then Dean stretched a little and lay down on his bed, yawning "Think I'll shower tomorrow – I'm dead beat and we need to get an early start tomorrow – that creature back there – it had a mate and I'm damn sure that ugly broad ain't gonna see another dawn – you up to it Sam?" Jared blinked a little and stared across at Dean, swallowing convulsively, up to it – fuck what sort of question was that – Jared had never hunted anything, not really, he had never had his hands on a proper gun, only props and he had never even swatted a fly in anger, let alone kill another thing, even if it were evil and supernatural – but hey, what could he say – he had been avoiding the 'I'm not Sam' confession thus far and he wanted to continue to do so – Dean didn't seem to suspect anything and had treated him very much as he would expect with a mixture of affection and irritation, Jared decided that he liked Dean – more than he thought – but then he already knew him pretty well and Jensen's portrayal of the man seemed to be spot on, which was good, because that meant his portrayal of Sam must be about right and all he had to do was keep it that way- but – and this was a huge, gut wrenching but – he didn't know how the fuck he was going to keep it up when the bullets started flying and the monsters started attacking and, to be perfectly honest, he was fucking terrified.

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Sam Winchester lined up his shot, sank the blue ball and leant back to take a swallow of beer, a smile of satisfaction playing around his lips, his companion shook his head good naturedly and took a tug on his own bottle, his green eyes glowing "Jared – that's awesome man – have you been practising? Guess that knock on the head did you some good dude – you don't seem to be able to lose"

"Just luck I guess" Sam grinned, feeling the beer warming his gut, he wasn't by nature a big drinker and he must be on, what, his third or fourth bottle and he felt relaxed and more at home. He really liked this Jensen character – he seemed to have all of Dean's good traits and, thankfully, none of his bad ones and it was obvious that he and this Jared guy were really good friends, their bond almost as close as his and his brothers. Sam let his eyes play around the bar; it was a really smart place, clean and well-lit with soft music playing on the juke box and red leather chairs in every alcove, it was certainly nothing like those frequented by himself and Dean and he felt a sudden stab of envy, if all bars were like this then he might really enjoy visiting them "Another beer?" he found himself asking, reaching into his pocket for the roll of bills he had found there, he felt a bit guilty using this Jared guys money to buy his beers but he had little choice as the only things that really belonged to him were a grimy hoodie and some ripped jeans which, at this current time, were being washed by 'wardrobe'.

Sam and Jensen settled in one of the booths and sat in silence as they pulled at their beers. Sam was reluctant to begin any conversation as he didn't want to draw any attention to himself or the fact that he wasn't who he claimed to be. Several times in the evening he had caught Jensen looking at him and he wondered if the older man suspected something, Sam had no clue as to what Jared was like as a person but he seemed to be an ok guy and Sam didn't want to do anything that might stick to the man when (and if) he returned here. "You ok Jare?" Jensen smiled and twirled the bottle stem in his hand "You seem a little quiet today – head hurt?"

"Yeah – just a little shook up" Sam smiled, swallowing more beer to give him courage "Be ok again tomorrow"

"You seem to be overusing your Sam voice and those puppy dog eyes" Jensen was grinning "You can get out of character now you know – its gonna be a long day tomorrow – maybe we should get out of here and go back to yours – work on the script"

"Yeah – maybe we should" Sam shook his head 'puppy dog eyes' shit, is that what he did? Well maybe – to get his way with Dean – but all the time – and what did Jensen mean about his voice? He always talked this way didn't he? Well maybe not, maybe Jared had a louder voice or some accent he didn't know about – ah shit – Sam was scared, more scared than when he faced down a monster or some raging spirit – tomorrow he was going to have to go back to that place – the set – and pretend to be himself – Sam felt that all too familiar hysteria bubble fourth again and he gulped back another bottle of beer, his head spinning – his last coherent thought being – god this Jared dude really knows how to have a good time………..


	4. Chapter 4

**Stepping into the Real **

**Chapter 4**

Sam woke with a furry mouth and a thumping head, hung over, unable to open his eyes against the bright sunlight. He sat up slowly, burying his head in his hands and breathing deeply, trying to get rid of the beer fumes that seemed to permeate his body. The last thing he remembered was doing a very bad version of 'Paranoid' on the karaoke but after that his mind went a little fuzzy and he hoped that he hadn't done anything else that had compromised him or the unknown Jared.

Today was the day he had to turn up on set and play 'himself' and he didn't think that beer and karaoke had been the best preparation for his 'big' debut. He sighed, pushing himself out of bed, a shower, some black coffee and something greasy would soon wake him and he padded over to Jared's giant bathroom to get himself ready.

When Jensen picked him up, the older man looked disgustingly healthy and far too cheerful for a man who had spent the entire night drinking, Sam allowed himself a smile, Dean would have liked this man, this alto ego of himself, he would have definitely approved.

Wardrobe obligingly dressed him in his own clothes and he was taken into make-up to get ready. He found himself in the, more than capable hands, of a lovely looking lady called Molly, who brushed his hair and lathed cream on his cheeks and under his eyes. Sam looked into the mirror, confused. He still had the same scruffy brown hair, the slanting cat-like hazel eyes, the little mole on his cheek; his chin was still too strong, his neck too long, he was still Sam Winchester – but – he glanced over to Jensen who was flirting with one of the make-up girls and he found himself frowning, how could what had happened be happening? He thought back to Mordaci Murdoch and the 'Hell House', could he, Sam be the same thing? A living, breathing thought form brought to life by thousands of television viewers. He had seen the television page and seen how he and Dean had been portrayed 'Supernatural studs', he smiled again, god his brother would have loved this, all those women lusting after him, watching his every move, sending him fan mail, and Sam had seen some of the fan mail that Jensen had opened this morning – red lacy panties – yeah – his brother would certainly appreciate the situation better than he was.

All too soon his make-up session was over and he was making his way on set, he had glanced at the script last night in a drunken haze and he had gone through it several times again with Jensen this morning and – hey – it couldn't be that hard could it? When he was in high school he had appeared in a performance of a play called 'Our Town' and he had, it had to be said, been pretty good, he'd done a few plays at Stanford too and he had always remembered his lines, come in on cue, surely this couldn't be any harder? He bit his lip hard and crossed every appendage he had – he felt he owed it to the mysterious Jared to put in a good performance – after all this was the guys job, his livelihood, and Sam was done fucking with it.

Things went better than expected, the lines were not so hard to remember as they were mostly banter between him and Dean and – hell – he said them nearly every day. The director – a guy called Kim, seemed to be extremely pleased at Sam's characterisation, which was good because if he couldn't play himself then he was in deep shit. Jensen and him were really flying when it happened and Sam should have seen it coming really as his vision blurred and the pain in his head suddenly intensified, fuck, fuck, fuck – he knew what was happening and he was at its mercy – as he fell into blackness he heard Jensen cry out and then he was falling again, his face hitting the floor as the vision took him.

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Jared lay on his stomach in the cold warehouse and gritted his teeth; did all the things that the Winchester's hunted live in such hideous conditions, he could smell urine and damp and he could feel dank water under his belly, this was shit and he could feel his hands and legs trembling both with cold and fear. As he looked down he could see Dean sitting at the centre of the room, bait for the creature, the older man had decided, earlier that day, that he should be the one to tempt it out and that 'Sam' should watch his back, Jared had agreed, but now, face down in a puddle of something he couldn't identify, he was beginning to rue that decision. The gun he held was heavy, nothing like the ones they used for props, and he seriously doubted that he would be able to hold it steady or even use it. He bit his lip hard and peered down at Dean – he hoped to god that the creature didn't show.

An hour later and Jared was beginning to lose the feeling in his legs, his head was hurting and he was bored out of his brain. Then, suddenly, he saw it and he swallowed back bile and fear, because this was no blue screen or man in a suit, this was a seven foot, hideous and foul smelling evil thing and Jared wanted to vomit at the sight of it. It approached Dean, its claws out and, without warning, it slashed once or twice at the older man, Dean went down kicking and screaming and Jared knew that was his cue to act, he shot up and raised the gun, sweat streaming down his face, shit he thought he had been scared when the prop men had poured cold goo all over him in 'The House of Wax' but this- this was something different, something terrible, he squeezed the trigger of his gun and it went off, knocking him off balance, he heard Dean scream again and he knew he had missed "Oh fuck" he moved nearer, tears and sweat mingling on his cheeks and shot again, praying frantically that this worked, the gun gave a loud retort, the screaming stopped and Jared fell to his knees, watching as the creature toppled to one side, twitched for a moment and lay still.

"Dean!" Jared scrabbled at the older man's chest, pulling off his hoodie to stem the bleeding "Dean – shit – Dean – speak to me man – fucking speak to me"

"What – hell – shit "the older man opened his eyes and stared straight at Jared "What happened Sam? What took you so long?"

Jared stared at Dean for a moment and then he turned away and threw up – retching over and over until he was bringing up nothing more than water and bile, his chest aching with the strain. Finally, when the worst was over he turned back to look at the older Winchester and his heart sank in his chest, his throat closing. Dean was on his feet, his good hand holding the hoodie over his blood stained chest, his weaker hand clutching his gun, which was aimed steadily at Jared's head "What have you done with my brother – you son of a bitch? You better start spilling cos if you don't it'll be your corpse I'll be burning tonight not that hairy fuckers"……

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Sam shot up - his hand gripping Jensen's wrist so hard he thought it might snap "My brother – he's got a gun at your friend's head and I don't know what the fuck to do about it"


	5. Chapter 5

**Stepping into the Real **

**Chapter 5**

Jensen lifted the whiskey to Sam's lips and let him take tiny sips, Sam half sat, half lay in the older man's arms, his head resting on his shoulder; it felt so much like Dean that Sam wanted to cry and, for the first time since this 'thing' had occurred, he felt incredibly homesick and he desperately wanted his brother.

They had taken him off set and Kim had wanted to call an ambulance, but Jensen had assured them that he would look after Jared and that there was no need to panic, he told them that they had been working all night to get the script right (god the man even lied like Dean) and that he would make sure that Jared was ok in the morning. Eric, the producer, had then declared they could take the rest of the week off and told them to be back, bright eyed and bushy tailed on Monday morning. Not one person had mentioned Sam's outburst and Sam guessed they had put it down to yesterday's bang on the head mixed with an all night rehearsal.

Sam felt the whiskey warm him and he shifted so that Jensen could use his arm again. He was on the bed in Jensen's trailer and he didn't want to look the older man in the eye; Jensen had been quiet since they arrived back, Sam half carried, half dragged and, apart from insisting that he stay in Jensen's trailer, he hadn't uttered a word to Sam and seemed content to let him lie there, till the after affects of the vision had worn off completely.

"Jensen. I "Sam began, his throat felt hoarse and he still felt the lingering panic left by his vision, he could still see his brother's angry eyes and see a man, his virtual double, kneeling before Dean, his whole body shaking. Sam knew this had to be Jared and he also knew that Jared had to be in big trouble "Jensen I'm sorry for what happened back there – guess I must have over done the beers"

"Yeah" the older man was staring at him with wide green eyes, a frown denting his forehead "Yeah – guess you must have"

Sam knew what he was going to say next was going to earn him either a first class ticket to whatever psychiatric hospital took stressed out actors or the respect of Jensen – he hoped it was the latter, but he feared it might be the former "I had a vision – Jensen – I had a vision and you know what that means – don't you?"

"Yeah" the green eyes narrowed and a gentle, but firm, hand came and rested on Sam's wrist "I guess I've suspected for some time – but it can't be – can it? You fucking can't be who I think you are – can you?"

"Who do you think I am?" Sam felt his whole body sag with relief, if Jensen believed him then he didn't have to do this alone – he didn't have to constantly pretend "Jensen – say it – please"

"You're not Jared Padalecki – you're Sam Winchester" Jensen rushed out the words and then put his hand to his mouth as if they had escaped, unbidden, "Fuck – I can't believe I just said that"

"Oh god" Sam wanted to hug the older man but settled for clasping his hand "Oh god"

"But how? And where the fuck is Jared?" Jensen went pale, his eyes widening "Oh my fucking god – he's wherever you were – and that's why Dean has a gun to his head – Sam – he's going to get fucking killed"

"Dean won't just shoot him" Sam wished he believed what he was saying "He won't – because if there's any doubt that it might be me – he won't risk it"

"How did this happen?" Jensen asked again "You don't exist...but you do – fuck – what is this all about?"

"I don't know" Sam frowned, his long fingers squeezing the bridge of his nose in concentration "I just don't know – my life is a television show – and what am I? Am I a toper? A thought form come to life? Or is it just some sort of fucked up parallel universe?" he looked at Jensen – eyes pleading "Tell me – tell me everything you've filmed so far – let me see just how much of my life you've got right – I need to know – don't hold back – just tell me everything"

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000Jared shifted, his whole body shaking, if he fucked up now he would be dead in a moment and he knew it. He looked up into Dean's eyes and took a deep breath – he could be honest – and probably get shot or he could lie – and probably get shot. He decided to come down on the side of reasonable caution "I am your brother" he said, gently, widening his eyes so that Sam's puppy dog look was full on "I am Sam"

"Bullshit!" Dean Winchester laughed, harshly "You're not him – Sam would never miss like that and then throw up after a kill – you some sort of shape shifter bastard? I've killed one of those before – so I'm sure up to killing one again"

"I'm Sam" Jared repeated, panic flooding his voice "Look I was born in Lawrence on 9th May, our mother died in our nursery when I was exactly 6 months old" (God – he hoped all this was right) "Our father was John Winchester and he died after a car wreck – the night we nearly killed the son of a bitch that killed mom and Jess" Jared was silent for a moment – if any of this information was wrong – he was a dead man.

"Sammy?" Dean lowered his weapon and knelt down in front of Jared, his shaking hands touching the man's cold and pale face "Sammy – it is you"

"Of course its me Dean" Jared felt lower than a snake's hips then, as he watched the man's tough exterior unravel before his eyes "Of course its me dude – I just panicked that's all – just a bad reaction – hey we all have them – right?"

"Sammy" Dean's arms came around Jared's shoulders and he felt the soft sting of salt on his hair "I'm sorry I doubted you dude – come on – lets get out of here – I could use a beer – don't know about you"

"Sure" Jared felt a lump in his throat and he returned the older man's hug, his heart breaking – at that moment he really wanted to be Sam Winchester and he hoped that the young man appreciated what he had here – because Jared was going to do his dandiest to return him to his brother – whatever it took.


	6. Chapter 6

**Stepping into the Real **

**Chapter 6**

It took Jared a while to carry a very drunk, very happy Dean back to the Impala and get him belted in the passenger seat. Dean had hustled him at pool, beaten him at darts, chatted up at least three women and got into two fights, Jared, mindful of Sam's two beers rule, had stuck to soda after that and had been glad that Dean didn't think that this was something strange. Now Jared was about to drive the Impala and he felt nervous and twitchy. This was no stunt car, there was no 'blue background' he had to find his way back to the motel and then think of a way back to his own time/place/dimension because the tension of being here, being someone else, was really beginning to get to him. "Ok Dean?" he grinned at the man next to him, he was starting to really like the guy, this man really loved his little brother and would do anything for him, would no doubt die for him and Jared was worried that that might happen if he was around much longer. He was useless as a hunter, he had no skills in research and he didn't have any real psychic abilities, if they actually faced a bigger monster than the one in the warehouse then Dean and this particular 'Sam' were royally fucked.

They arrived back to the motel in one piece and Jared managed to get the older man undressed and under the covers without too much preamble, Dean woke up once or twice and gave him an impromptu hug, twice telling him how much he loved him and twice telling him he was a prissy little bitch who ought to enjoy himself more. Jared found himself smiling, wryly, he would usually enjoy the company of a guy like Dean, but usually he wasn't walking on egg shells wondering what the hell might be happening next. He was an actor, sure, but he had never had to stay in character for more than two or three hours at a time and he was used to having multiple takes – this – whatever it was and however it had happened – was real life, this happened to these guys everyday and Jared couldn't help but wonder how they did it and stayed sane, he gazed over at the snoring man in the opposite bed and sighed, he missed Jensen and wished the older man was here to help him, he was sure that he might have an answer to all this, because at this moment, Jared didn't have a clue.

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Sam sat back on the bed and took a large swallow of what was left of the whiskey, he had just listened to Jensen tell him the Winchester's life story and the more he listened the more convinced he was that he and Dean were nothing but thought forms, brought to life by fan-girls and net heads – everything Jensen told him, about them had happened and Sam couldn't explain it, shit he'd seen some things and done some things in his life, but he couldn't explain this and he was at a loss to know what to do or even how to feel.

"You ok?"Jensen's green eyes were bright "Look Sam – everything I've told you – don't let it get to you"

"It's my life dude" Sam's voice was soft, rough and he sounded on the verge of tears "My life"

"Look – you don't seem like a thought form to me Sam" Jensen smiled and he looked so much like Dean that Sam's stomach clenched "I don't know what's happened but I do know that we need to fix it – and fast"

"Yeah – I doubt whether your friend can keep Dean at bay for long – hell for all I know he already has a bullet in the head" Sam saw Jensen's face pale and he shuddered "Sorry – wrong thing to say" he paused for a moment "You know – this could be something to do with the demon – I mean – this switch – it makes sense"

"Yeah?" Jensen frowned for a minute, then he clicked his fingers "Yeah – could be – I mean together you and Dean – you stand a chance against the bastard – what with Dean's strength and your abilities – if you went into battle – I'd expect you to win" he shook his head "But Dean would expect you to have his back and – if it were someone who looked like you – talked like you – hell could pass off as you without him suspecting – he'd go in thinking that you'd be able to protect him and…." He trailed off and Sam didn't need to hear anymore to know what he was thinking or where this was going

"It doesn't matter if this is a demonic plan or not" Sam's voice was low, pained "You're right – Dean would go into any hunt expecting me to have his back – but your friend isn't a hunter and whilst he might be able pass himself off as me for his own safety – he would be helpless against as higher power of evil and he and Dean could very well both be killed" he shook his head "I can't carry on being him either – hell I might be able to play myself for a bit – but say he got a job on another programme or in a film – fuck – I would be in deep shit"

"What you're saying is that it doesn't matter how you got here or why – or by whose hand – you just need to get back and as soon as you can" Jensen frowned "We are half way through this new series Sam – and I know that its going to end with a showdown – if it really is following your life then we don't have much longer to get you home" he touched Sam's shoulder, his eyes wide and a little desperate "I just need to see Jared again – make sure he's safe – he's a really good guy Sam – I don't want him to get killed – not like this"

"I don't want him to get killed either" Sam placed his large hand over the older man's, tears stinging "We need to get him back and we need to do it soon – if we don't then the demon could win and who knows what repercussions that could have – for all of us"


	7. Chapter 7

**Stepping into the Real **

**Chapter 7**

Jared was quietly pleased that they didn't seem to have too many hunting jobs at the moment. Dean seemed perfectly happy to stick around in the small town in which they found themselves, hustling pool to make some money and applying for more fake credit cards. Jared was happier when they didn't hunt – he was more at ease being Sam when things were quiet, he didn't feel the pressure and actually got some pleasure being around the legend that was Dean Winchester. He wondered how long it would be before Dean got restless, found another job, he pondered on what he would do. Every night he went to bed vowing that tomorrow would be the day he told the truth – even if it meant a bullet to the head – and every morning he would wake up and share breakfast with his 'brother' unable to get the words out, unable to tell the man what was really going on. He couldn't understand why he found it so difficult – hell this man dealt with the supernatural every day – he surely wouldn't find it so hard to comprehend, but then he would remember the cold green eyes and the gun against his temple and his courage would fail him and he continued to live in another man's skin.

His feet were cold, they hung over the end of the motel bed and, not for the first time, he felt sympathy for poor old Sam. It wasn't easy being 6ft 4, but at least at home he could afford king sized everything from beds to bathtubs, here in this world everything seemed too small, too cramped, beds for midgets and baths that only a child would fit into. He grunted and shifted up his legs, often he would hope that, when he slept, he would suddenly become himself again, wake up in his trailer or on the set, see Jensen grinning down at him – he dreamt about enveloping the older man in a giant hug, shouting how good it was to see him, but every morning he was disappointed and he awoke to scratchy sheets and too cold feet and Dean snoring beside him.

Today was different – he felt it as soon as he opened his eyes – Dean was out of his bed and bouncing on his toes, wrapping up shirts and jeans, stuffing them into bags – his eyes wide and determined

"Sam move your sorry ass out of the bed" he bent down and pulled the covers off Jared, causing him to shiver and curse "We've gotta go man – this is it – we've gotta go"

"What?" Jared sat up, stretching out cramped muscles, plastering on a suitable Sam expression "What's happening Dean?"

"Ash called" Dean's eyes took on an expression that Jared had never seen before and he felt a chill envelope him "He's found it man, he's found the demon"

"Shit" the word came out before he had the chance to hold it back, the chill that had started in his body was now radiating out through his skin and he could feel himself shaking; he knew what those words meant, knew what was now expected of him and he knew that he couldn't do it – he couldn't. This would be no closed set, no harnesses to support him whilst he was flung against walls, no lines to spurt, no carefully learnt Latin to read. He would be expected to go into the final battle forewarned and forearmed and he realised that he should have told Dean the truth – because he knew now that his lies were going to kill them both.

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Jensen and Sam were holed up in Jensen's trailer with the cover story that they were learning lines. The last few days had been – well – different, they had done a little research and gotten nowhere and they had taken some R & R with Jensen showing Sam the sights of Vancouver and taking him to his favourite bars. Sam winced, he wondered, if he ever got home, how he was going to explain his new liking for beer, shots and karaoke to Dean, he smiled wryly – he guessed Dean might like the new Sam and he wished that he could get to show him what a fun guy he could actually be. It was irony really, Sam hadn't had normal since his time at Stanford and even then he hadn't actually fitted in very well – here in Vancouver – pretending to be Jared – Sam had had his first real taste of normal life and, whilst he liked it, he desperately wanted to get home to his 'real' life – never really knowing how much he missed hunting and Dean. He liked Jensen though and he was sorry that he couldn't introduce the older man to his brother – he wondered what Dean's reaction would be to all this – to the man who was his double – and he couldn't actually decide – Dean would either be delighted or as pissed as hell.

They were huddled over the computer – looking for answers – when the vision hit, it was painful, sudden and came at him like a punch in the gut, he felt Jensen's arms go around him, felt himself being lowered to the ground and then he felt nothing – the scene flickering before his eyes as real as it had ever been….

There was fire and brimstone, smoke and screaming, he could see the Impala, wrecked again, its windows blackened and smashed; Several people seemed to be hovering near by – their eyes as black as the car's surface, he could hear laughter, almost taste the victory in them, he could see the sky above, full of dark clouds and red swirls, lightening bolts cutting it asunder, it was like Armageddon, but it seemed to be taking place in back woods America.

Two figures lay on the ground, one, Dean Winchester, was curled over, blood pouring from wounds in his chest and neck, a gun still loosely clutched in lifeless fingers, his face was covered in dirt and dust, but his green eyes, still open, were full of fear and anger. Laying under one of Dean's protective arms was someone who looked like Sam Winchester, dark hair matted with blood, long body still, eyes closed tightly, there was no movement and the figure did not breath – Sam Winchester was dead and his brother, still curled protectively over his baby, was not long for the world either – Sam found himself screaming and he rolled over in Jensen's tightening grip – vomiting painfully and the words left his lips

"They found it – oh god – they found it and it won"


	8. Chapter 8

**Stepping into the Real **

**Chapter 8**

"It didn't happen yet – did it?" Jensen's good natured face was pale, the fine bones looked stretched over his skin, his green eyes, through the wire rimmed glasses he wore, were red rimmed and sore looking. Sam sat on the floor of the bathroom, a washcloth plastered against his burning head, the pain was beginning to subside but the horror of what he saw was etched on his mind and he couldn't shake the image.

"I don't know – I don't think so" Sam touched the older man's arm in some sort of comfort "I usually see these things before they happen"

"But they always come true right?" Jensen had taken everything else with a kind of stoic acceptance but Sam could see the man unravelling before him, see the pain etched on his face "Well – they always seem to in our show at least"

"Not always – remember Andy? His girl was saved and I saw her die – we got there in time – we stopped it – and the baby in Salvation – we saved her and her family – we can do this Jensen – I just don't know how"

"We could drive out there" it sounded stupid even as he said it "Where ever there is"

"I don't even know if they are in the same dimension as them" Sam shook his head "I don't know how I got here and why – all I know is that I have to get back there – and soon"

"What do you remember?" Jensen mused "What were you doing before you ended up here?"

"Some hairy assed fucker had his hands around my throat and I blacked out" Sam frowned "When I woke up – I was here"

"Monster – in a warehouse right?" Jensen snapped his fingers "We were filming that scene the day you arrived – remember – I asked you to say the line"

"Maybe if we could recreate that episode – maybe we could make this thing right again" Sam frowned "Jensen I don't know why or how I got here – I thought maybe it was the demon – maybe it was supernatural – maybe its just fate – I don't have an answer – but what ever has happened we have to alter it – else Dean and Jared will die"

"We haven't come up with anything else to try" Jensen mused "And if we do manage to make it work – we'll be fucking up the timeline as well – so maybe we'll give you and Dean a little more time before you come face to face with the demon"

"Do you think we finally kill it?" Sam's face was sad, his voice bittersweet "Do you think we might finally end the bastard?"

"All I do know" Jensen said, allowing himself a small smile "Is that, in this reality, there is no way that either you or Dean would die – it would fucking kill the ratings" he heard Sam snort and saw the dimples deepen and he thought that maybe this would be alright.

It had taken a lot of sweet talking and endless actor tantrums but Kim had finally agreed to shoot the warehouse scene. There was mumbling about lines and cues and some budget concerns about dragging out the monster again, but Jensen charmed until he could charm no more and finally they agreed to do it the next morning.

He took Sam to their favourite bar and they sat in a booth in compatible silence, watching the world go by, lost in their own thoughts. If this worked then this would be goodbye and Jensen couldn't help feel a stab of regret, he had grown too really like Sam Winchester and he would miss him – even if it did mean he would get Jared back in return. Sam seemed to read his thoughts as he reached across the table and placed a hand over Jensen's, long fingers curling around him, a gentle pressure

"You've taken all this extremely well" Sam mused "Given – well – given everything"

"I know" Jensen grinned "Maybe I'm not as rational as I thought I was" he returned the pressure of Sam's hand "It's a bit like a theme park ride isn't it – once you get on and accept it – you just hold on tight till its over – and enjoy the twists and turns along the way without question"

"Yeah and this has been one hell of a ride" Sam looked out of the window wondering where Dean was at this moment and what he was doing, wondering whether he really existed or whether all this was some figment of a wild imagination

"I'll miss you Sam – but I really hope to hell this works – cos if it doesn't we may be all royally screwed"

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The next day they arrived early on set and went through their lines several times before the crew were ready. Sam felt nervous, sweaty and he wondered what the fuck they were going to do if this didn't work. He gazed across at Jensen – in costume and looking so much like Dean it made his stomach clench again – he may never see his brother again and that hurt - this had to work – not just for his sake – but for the sake of the unknown Jared – a man who he had never met yet who he felt he knew intimately. The director yelled his directions and they were off, Jensen stood back, gun in hand, as the 'monster' (a stunt man in a suit who would be CGI'd later) approached Sam and put its claws around his throat, squeezing, Sam fell to his knees, eyes swimming, throat closing, he heard Jensen call his name and then he blacked out completely, hitting the floor with a painful thump.

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Jared had his head resting against the Impala's window, staring out at the passing scenery, wondering where the fuck they were. Beside him Dean was a knot of tension, hands tight on the wheel, jaw set. This was the ultimate for the older man, the showdown with the thing that had killed his mother, his father and had destroyed his life. For Jared it was a nameless fear, something he couldn't cope with or even understand, he couldn't do this, couldn't let Dean drive into the abyss thinking Sam was going to protect him

"How did Ash say we could kill it?" Jared's voice was so hoarse he sounded like Sam "What do we do – the colt is gone"

"He's got some ideas" Dean glanced at him "To do with your psychic abilities Sam – you see – you are the answer – you – without you Sam – we can't do it"

"Fuck" Jared let the word slip from his mouth and then put his fingers to his lips to stop saying more. This was going from bad to worse – he didn't have any psychic abilities for god's sake – he was an actor from Texas who'd had a really good break – not some demon hunter – he knew that it was time and he swallowed hard, he couldn't let this man, who he had come to love like a real brother, go blithely into death, he had to tell him the truth, even if it meant a bullet in the brain – at least he could die knowing he'd done something right, something with his life, he turned to Dean and opened his mouth but before he could speak he was gripped by a terrible pain which seemed to split across his head and make his eyes water, he groaned and bent forward, feeling bile rush to his throat and his world go black – the last thing he heard was Dean shouting about visions and then he slipped into blessed oblivion.


	9. Chapter 9

**Stepping into the Real **

**Chapter 9**

The first thing that Sam noticed as he came to was the smell, a hideous, rank scent that seemed to pervade all his senses, making his mouth water and his eyes hurt. He swallowed hard, his throat rough and harsh, his neck sore; for a moment he lay on the cold hard floor, then he opened his eyes. It was very dark and all he could see was a shadowy figure kneeling over him, hands scrabbling for purchase, checking his head, his heart, his neck. Sam lifted his head slowly, his heart pounding hard in his chest "Dean?"

"Fuck Sammy" hands came around his shoulders and he felt himself being hauled, unceremoniously, to his feet "You were supposed to be the fucking bait, not the victim"

"Dean" he was unable to say another word, just his brother's name over and over again, his arms coming up and embracing his brother, holding him as tight as he could, breathing in the familiar scent of his leather jacket, sweat and cologne, for his part Dean just held him, mumbling something about 'chick flicks' and 'prissy girls' but Sam didn't care, he just held on, the vision of Dean lying dead beginning to recede from his mind as he clutched him harder until his older brother snorted and pushed him away

"Enough Sammy – come on man – I'm ok – you're ok – chill bro"

"Yeah – sure – sorry" Sam brushed his face, not wanting Dean to see his tears, they had done it, he wasn't sure how or why it had happened but it had and he was back with his brother – a brother who had no idea what had happened and, probably, never would "Dean?"

"Yeah Sam"

"I could handle a beer"

"Sure" the green eyes widened with shock but Dean nodded his approval "Sure I know a great bar – good chicks, cheap beer and a pool table with my name on it – you up for it Sammy?"

"Oh yeah" Sam felt a smile split his face in two "Oh yeah – lets go big brother – I'm buying.

Dean Winchester sat on the bar stool, his chin in his hand, fuck he must be drunk – either that or someone had slipped something illegal into his beer because – well Sammy had beaten him at pool, had downed at least five beers and two shots of tequila, had slapped his large hand across a barmaids ass and was now treating the entire bar to a very bad version of Black Sabbath's Paranoid; Dean shook his head and slugged down another beer, a smile playing round his lips – he would have to have a talk with little Sammy – but not now – now he was having too good a time and he needed to decide just who was going to be driving them home when the bar closed.

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Jared opened one eye cautiously, his head no longer seemed to hurt, but his mouth was dry and he felt vaguely nauseous; the lights were very bright and he seemed to be lying on his back – no longer in the Impala – he wondered if he had had some sort of weird Sam like vision – and he had ended up in a hospital somewhere in nowhere USA, then he felt gentle hands on his face and a familiar voice said, gently "Jared? Jare?"

Both eyes flew open instantly and he saw a figure squatting next to him, arms supporting him, green eyes wide and questioning, Jared swallowed, the leather jacket, jeans, biker boots all seemed familiar but this – this wasn't Dean; he swallowed hard, a lump forming in his throat, salt burning his eyes

"Jensen!" he threw his arms around the other man "Fuck Jensen" he was aware of Kim shouting that they had ruined the shot again and then he burst into tears, burying his face in Jensen's shoulder, sobbing like a child.

They sat in Jensen's trailer, sharing a bottle of whiskey, gazing out of the window into the darkness, wondering what lay beyond their little world.

"Jesus – Jensen – I can't even begin to tell you…" Jared clutched his hand "It's been – it's been so fucking weird "

"You're telling me" Jensen stared at his friend, some of the brashness, some of the confidence had been knocked out of the younger man but he could see a much more rounded, more mature Jared and he felt a little sad for innocence lost "I don't really know what to say man – he was here – Sam was here and – what he saw – their whole life – we've been portraying their whole life – it doesn't make any sense – it just doesn't"

"Did it really happen Jen?" Jared took a slug of whiskey and looked out into the night again – his thoughts on a black Impala and a lost friend "Or do we both need to be committed?"

"It happened Jare – all we can hope is that they survive it all and come out on the other side" he thought of Sam and their friendship "I hope we do too"

Jared nodded, his hand covering Jensen's, his eyes still on the great beyond "I missed you dude" he whispered

"Yeah – I missed you too" Jensen smiled, sadly, "You always get the lines right"

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**Six months later**

Jensen sat in his trailer, checking his e-mail. It was late and he really should be getting ready for the wrap party but something had told him to do this and he, somehow, couldn't resist the urge. It had been an excellent shoot and they had left the series on a fucker of a cliff hanger which surely would have the fans and the network coming back for more. It had been a long journey and he, for one, was glad for the hiatus which was coming their way. He knew Jared needed the break more than anyone – the last months had been difficult for him, he had taken time to adjust and, every so often, Jensen would catch the younger man staring off into the distance, his mind elsewhere. Jensen shook himself and stabbed at the computer keys – there was an e-mail address he didn't recognise and he clicked the mouse, heart pounding as he read the words in front of him.

'_Jensen – I googled you man – and after calling in a few favours – thanks Ash – I finally found you. We did it dude – we totally wasted that son of a bitch – everyone made it out alive – no Armageddon this time – Dean and me, we celebrated with beer and karaoke. I've missed you dude – and that's why I'm sending you this – Dean and me – we've decided that Vancouver is a nice place for a vacation and I just know that you would like to meet him – show him that favourite bar of yours – he still doesn't believe me – so maybe this will open his eyes – I can't wait to see you and to finally meet Jared – feels like we will be stepping into the real dude – get back to me – Sam"_

Jensen smiled and hit the reply button.

End


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